Bathinda hospitals short of ICU beds, ventilators

Bathinda, August 29

In view of shortage of ICU beds and ventilators in Bathinda hospitals, Covid-19 patients are being referred to Faridkot medical college, located 70 km from here.

This has created an atmosphere of fear as Bathinda witnessed a huge spike in cases from 349 to 2,105 this month. Even the number of deaths has surged from five to 20.

‘Making arrangements’

We are making arrangements for 15 ICU beds in private hospitals. We are referring only critical patients to Faridkot. - B Srinivasan, Bathinda DC

As per COVA mobile app data, Bathinda has 500 beds at the Covid care centre out of which 128 are occupied and 372 vacant. Government hospitals have a total of 135 beds with or without oxygen out of which 45 are occupied and 90 vacant.

Moreover, no government hospital in the district has any ICU bed with or without ventilator for the patients. Even private hospitals have also not offered any ICU beds.

Dr Vikas Chhabra, president, IMA-Bathinda, said: “We have provided the list of eight hospitals, which are willing to give ventilators.”

He said private hospitals were facing problems as doctors and staff feared treating Covid-19 patients. Moreover, there is no incentive. Hospitals have told the district administration that they will treat level 1 or 2 patients, but not level 3 patients. — TNS